Through three games, the Steelers are one of six defenses to allow 200-plus yards to tight ends, indicating a problem. They are also one of three teams to allow three touchdowns to tight ends, with Hunter Henry netting two recently. But DC Teryl Austin isn’t worried about it—he things they have it figured out.
Asked on Thursday about the Steelers allowing tight ends to find space and make plays, Austin said he doesn’t believe the defense is doing anything wrong in terms of identification. “We always recognize the tight end and the chips”, he said, via transcript from the team’s media department. He added that there are certain calculated risks they’ve taken that have exposed them to some plays being made.
“The two touchdowns [Hunter Henry] had were both, we had some coverage issues”, Austin said of the Steelers’ most recent lapse defending tight ends. “It wasn’t that he was just spectacular in terms of running great routes and all that other stuff. That was a good scheme, they got us on that. Give them credit for having that. I think we’ll be fine in terms of guarding tight ends and getting them after chips. I feel confident that the leak-out stuff and the different things that happened last week hopefully won’t occur again”.
Of course, the Steelers, and every other team, routinely claim to have things figured out whether they do or not. It’s one thing to think you’ve solved a problem and another to prove it. At this rate, the Steelers still have to prove that they’ve figured out how not to expose themselves to tight ends beating them.
The Jets didn’t use their tight ends a lot in Week 1 in the passing game when the Steelers played them. Rookie Mason Taylor caught one pass, albeit for 20 yards. Jeremy Ruckert added another two receptions for 16 yards, but New York has the 31st-ranked passing game.
The Seahawks are another team that doesn’t heavily involve its tight ends in the passing game, but they produced against the Steelers. AJ Barner caught two passes for 26 yards, including a touchdown, while Eilijah Arroyo added two for 31.
This past Sunday, the Steelers allowed over 100 yards to the Patriots’ tight ends. Hunter Henry was the biggest offender, catching eight passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. But Austin Hooper also caught two passes for 28 yards.
Now the question is, is this one aberration and two normal games? Will the Steelers’ opponents see how the Patriots exploited them with tight ends and try to mirror it? Meanwhile, the Steelers are trying to figure out how to get their own tight ends more involved in the passing game. So far, they have a combined 130 yards on 19 receptions with one touchdown. And that touchdown came on a pitch play, a glorified run.
